I Do Enjoy Not Going to Work
by ghostlywhitedirewolf
Summary: Is Kono coping as well with her suspension as she would like her team to believe? Steve/Kono oneshot. Rated T to be safe.


'I do kind of enjoy not going to work'

BethBobby

Oneshot (I was tempted to make it a multi-chapter, but I just don't have the time at the minute)

Rated T for some swearing.

Had this idea while watching the season 2 premiere. Steve's face when Kono said this made the plot bunnies start spinning.

Just to confirm, I ship McDanno, but I do have a soft spot for Steve/Kono.

Enjoy and please review.

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'_You should never fight your feelings,_

_When your very bones believe them.'_

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Steve knew that his rookie wasn't coping as well as she would have liked them to think.

He knew from Chin that she was using surfing as a way to escape from it all.

In Chin's words 'she's avoiding thinking about the problem.'

Steve knew this, he had watched her the day they had had a beer at the headquarters.

He had noted the wistful way she had said 'yeah, some of us' when Kamekona had announced that 5-0 was back in business.

He knew she was trying to hide the pain her suspension had caused her.

She hadn't even started her career as a cop and she was facing the end of it.

The worst thing was, it was partially his fault.

He had been the one to actually steal the money from the locker, not her.

She'd just been the one who was unlucky enough to have been seen and recognised.

He had played a part in potentially ruining her career.

Chin felt the same way, apologising to her over and over again about how if it weren't for him she wouldn't be in this mess.

'If it wasn't for you Chin, I would still be moping around thinking about my surfing accident, rather than helping people. You gave me direction to go in, it's not your fault this happened. We would have done it for any of us. You would have done the same for me.' Steve had heard her tell him before she walked out of the building.

Chin had turned around and sighed 'great.'

'Where's she going?' Steve asked with a frown.

'Home I presume, she was crying.' Chin told the SEAL 'nothing anyone seems to say makes a difference. I don't know what she'll do if she loses her badge for good.'

Steve nodded, he knew from his recent experience of being in jail that the prospect of being disgraced and dismissed from service was a horrific one.

Where could your life go from that?

'I'll go and talk to her.' Steve told him, reaching across the table for the keys to his truck.

Chin nodded 'she might listen to you more than me.'

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And that was how Steve McGarrett found himself pulling Kono out of the ocean ten minutes later.

He had caught up with her pretty quickly as she was driving abnormally slowly for her, but she no longer had a badge and Steve figured she knew that she didn't need any more charges against her.

She was lost in thought and didn't even notice Steve tailing her as she pulled onto the beach and jumped out of the car, quickly stripping down to her bikini and throwing her clothes and car keys into one of the lockers provided.

He watched her as she ran out to the water with her board, her shoulders shaking as sobs racked through her body.

Steve sighed and grabbed his swim shorts from the back seat before looking back up at the rookie.

He frowned as he saw her, he hadn't noticed the wind at the 5-0 headquarters, but here at the beach it was pretty bad.

Kono was one of the best surfers he knew, but with the wind, and the group of surf lessons lurking around, he didn't like her odds.

Quickly Steve pulled off his shirt and shoes and started to run towards the shore.

He watched Kono see her wave and take her opportunity, but she hadn't noticed the amateur surfer to her right and as the wave took hold of them the other guy lost control of his board.

His board slammed into the back of Kono's as he fell and Steve saw the rookie fall, her board catching her head as she went under the water.

Steve was running before anyone else had had time to realise what happened.

The other guy popped his head up out of the water, seemingly unharmed, but Steve had his eyes glued to the stop where Kono had gone under, begging her to come back up too.

When she didn't resurface Steve dove into the water, one of the instructors suddenly beside him but he didn't care.

All he cared about was the fact that Kono hadn't come back up.

As he neared the spot where she had fallen he looked under the water desperately trying to find her.

He could hear the other guy shouting and panicking about what had happened just as Steve caught a glimpse of black hair and he dived for it, SEAL training kicking in and telling him not to think, just act.

His hands touched skin and he grabbed whatever part of Kono he could, dragging her upwards towards the surface.

He felt her grab his arm weakly, pulling herself closer to him for support as they broke the surface.

'Kono!' Steve yelled, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her lightly.

'I'm okay, I'm okay.' She mumbled weakly, but her eyes were still shut and blood was all over her face.

Steve gently cupped her chin, moving her head around to give him a better look of her injury.

She'd been lucky, Steve could see the small cut just above her left eye, it wasn't deep.

'Is she okay, she's okay right, oh god I'm so sorry!' the offending surfer started to swim over.

'Stay away! Learn to properly surf before you go out on waves like this! You could have killed her! This isn't some little joke, this is serious! Get out of here!' Steve yelled at him, starting to tow the little woman towards the shore.

'I don't feel so good.' He heard Kono mumble into his shoulder as he pulled her closer, resting her cheek against his shoulder to keep her head above water.

'Just another minute or two and you'll be out of the water and then I can take a proper look at you.' He told her.

Her eyes flicked open at the sound of his voice 'Steve?'

'Yeah it's me.' He said, his feet finally finding the bottom and he stood up in the water, swinging her up into his arms.

He could see that a crowd had gathered at the edge of the water, anxious to make sure that they were all okay.

'What are you doing here.' She groaned slightly as Steve shifted her and her cut caught his skin, the salt water making it sting.

'I was following you.' Steve said, flashing his now dripping 5-0 badge at the lifeguard who was standing between them and his car.

'She needs to go to a hospital.' The lifeguard insisted.

'She's fine with me, if she needs a hospital, I'll take her to one. She's on my team.' Steve told the man bluntly.

'I'm fine, both of you.' Kono muttered weakly.

'Kono, you're not fine, at all.' Steve told her, pushing past the lifeguard and pulling open the door of his truck before gently lowering Kono into the seat.

'My clothes and my car keys are in the locker.' She replied.

'I know, we can pick them up later, your car will be fine.' Steve told her, reaching across her to click the seatbelt into place.

'Okay.' She sighed.

Steve walked around to the other side of the truck and climbed in, rooting around on the back seat for a moment before he handed Kono a bottle of Lucozade.

'Here drink this.' He told her.

'I'm not thirsty.' She took it and just held it in her lap.

'Okay, I'm just worried about you going into shock, you need to get some sugar in you.' Steve said putting the car into reverse and swinging it around.

She looked at him dubiously.

'Kono, please, just humour me.'

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Steve drove to his house, keeping one eye on Kono's head.

She had started to drink the Lucozade and he was relieved to see some colour returning to her face as well as the fact that she was becoming more alert.

'Shit. I want to kill that guy.' She told him quietly 'stupid tourists.'

'Like Chin says, what can you do?' Steve replied with a small shrug 'were you trying to kill yourself, or did you not realise how many beginners were actually in there?.'

It was Kono's turn to shrug 'I knew, I just didn't care.'

Steve frowned as he turned into his driveway and killed the engine.

'Steve I don't have any clothes.' Kono pointed out, looking down at herself.

'I have some slacks that you can borrow, we can go pick up your stuff once I clean your head up and talk to you about what happened back at 5-0.' Steve told her, getting out of his car and jogging around to open the door for her.

Kono momentarily looked at the floor, before stepping down out of the truck, her head spinning slightly as her legs shook underneath her.

Steve slid his arm around her waist, gently supporting her.

'Man, I feel like such an idiot.' Kono sighed.

'That's because you are an idiot Kalakaua.' Steve joked, closing her door and locking the car 'you have no idea how worried I was when you didn't come back up.'

Steve felt his stomach clench, he didn't know what he'd do without the pretty woman, she was part of the glue that kept his team together.

Part of the glue that had kept him together through everything.

He couldn't lose her, not ever.

Definitely not like he thought he was going to today.

'I'm sorry.' Kono said, suddenly quiet.

'Come on and I'll get you cleaned up.' Steve told her, ignoring her question.

He didn't want her apologies; he wanted her to be happy again.

He just wanted her to be his Kono again.

The person he could always depend on, the one who always had his back no matter what.

'Okay,' she nodded, allowing herself to lean on Steve as they walked into his house.

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Steve sat her on his sofa while he went upstairs to grab some towels, clothes and the first aid kit that lived under his sink.

'Why were you following me?' Kono asked as Steve handed her a towel, a pair of his slacks and a Navy shirt.

'Because you were upset. I wanted to talk to you,' Steve shrugged 'you can go and dry off and then I'll sort your head out.'

'You just wish you could get inside my head, McGarrett.' Kono joked, nudging his side as she passed him.

'Of course,' Steve rolled his eyes 'go get dressed rookie.'

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By the time Kono returned, Steve had started to lay all the first aid kit out on the chair and had thrown on a shirt over his wet cargo pants.

'Sit down.' He told her gently, trying not to notice how his clothes clung to her small breasts where she still had her wet bikini on underneath and how low the slacks hung on her hips.

'Yessir.' Kono said sarcastically coming to sit next to Steve.

The cut wasn't deep, but Steve knew that head wounds always bled a lot.

'How are you feeling?' he asked her as he lightly pressed anti-septic into the wound.

'I'm okay, just a bit shaken up and I've got a splitting headache.' Kono admitted.

'You scared the shit out of me. He hit you pretty hard. Why did you go out in that when you were upset?' Steve rubbed an antiseptic cream into the cut before putting a dressing on it.

'Because I can stop thinking about everything other than the waves. I'm at peace.' Kono looked up at him, her eyes brimming and her voice suddenly full of passion.

'You were very nearly at peace, Kono. If one of the tail fins of the board had hit you you definitely would be at peace.' Steve raised his eyebrow and motioned his head towards her forehead.

'I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry McGarrett. I'm sorry that I'm angry that I don't have a future anymore. That my career is over and all anyone can do is apologise for something they didn't cause.' She jumped up and stood square in front of the SEAL.

'I'm sorry that my family are ashamed of me. That most of them are starting to blame Chin for 'corrupting' me.' Kono spat the word corrupting at him as though it disgusted her to even utter it.

'Hey, look..'

'No boss, don't tell me you're sorry or I will go. Headache or not, I will go.'

'Kono! Listen to me!' Steve said, for the first time since he had met her he had to raise his voice to get her to listen.

His rookie who was usually more professional and composed than him, Chin and Danny put together.

Kono paused, waiting for him to speak.

'I'm not trying to apologise because it doesn't help. I know that better than anyone. I spent the last week in Halawa Correctional facing the same consequences as you. Dismissal from service, being disgraced. But at least you're not facing life behind bars.' Steve's voice softened as he saw Kono flinch.

'I.. I just, don't know what I'd do if I couldn't be a cop anymore. I've already had surfing taken away from me, I can't lose this too.'

It was the first time Steve had ever seen Kono Kalakaua break.

Her defences crashed around her as she spoke the last sentence and her words disappeared into sobs.

'Hey, hey, c'mere.' Steve said, stepping forward and putting a tentative hand on her shoulder.

He knew she wasn't big on the touchy feely stuff so it surprised him when she threw herself against him, burying her head into his chest.

'What am I going to do?' she sobbed, her arms clutching his shirt as though he too were about to be snatched away from her.

'Nothing, you're going to be a model citizen until we find a way to get you out of this mess and then we can carry on like we always have. Just maybe a little more carefully this time.' Steve rubbed her shaking back and sighed.

It hurt to see her in so much pain.

'Yeah, like you can do careful.' Kono joked around a sob.

Steve smiled slightly.

'I have to,' he lifted Kono's chin so that she was looking up at him 'I can't keep putting you all in these situations. I care about you all too much to destroy your lives.'

Kono sniffed and Steve reached up with his other hand to wipe away a tear that had escaped.

'It's not your fault boss. Shit happens. We all did this to protect Chin and if me losing my badge means Chin living, then it was worth it.' Kono told him.

'I'm Steve, not boss, we're not at work. I know, but it was my call, I stole the money and you're paying for it.' Steve shook his head slightly in frustration, releasing her and dropping down onto the couch.

Kono followed him, picking up his hand and looking down at it.

'It doesn't make it your fault though,' she said 'it makes it my fault for not being more careful with that old lady.'

'We would have all done the same thing had we been in that situation. We had no permit, your only option was to try and blag to her.' Steve watched as Kono ran her fingers gently over his hand.

'I just wish I'd known a better way. I just wish I knew how to fix everything.' Kono sighed, her shoulders sagging.

Steve leaned over, putting his arm around her.

Kono looked up at him.

'Why do you care so much?'

'Because I do have feelings you know, I do actually care about people. I care about you.' Steve told her, not being able to stop before the last sentence slipped out of his mouth.

He saw her eyes widen.

_Shit, here comes the running away and me getting my ass kicked by Chin, _Steve thought, _why couldn't you just keep your big mouth shut McGarrett?_

'Me?' she asked in a small, shocked voice 'but what about Catherine?'

'Cath and I weren't serious.' Steve shook his head.

'Me?' Kono asked incredulously.

Steve couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh 'yes you.'

A small smile appeared in the corners of the Hawaiian woman's mouth as she looked up at him.

'Why is that so hard to believe?'

She shrugged 'I'm just not like the usual ones you seem to go for.'

'Kono, you're perfect. There's only you who can't seem to see that lately.' Steve told her, pressing his lips to her forehead impulsively, before he lost his nerve.

She looked up at him for a moment as he moved his head away before reaching up to kiss him back, pressing her lips softly to his.

Steve returned the kiss, his hands moving up and down her back in a circular motion, making her shiver as she moved her hands to clutch his neck, trying to pull him closer to her.

'No, no,' he muttered, pulling away 'for all I know you might be concussed. I don't want Chin kicking my ass for taking advantage of his little cousin while she was injured.'

'I'm fine McGarrett,' Kono growled, her voice husky from the kiss.

'You said that a lot while you were practically passed out in the car.' Steve reminded her.

'I mean it now.'

'Here's the deal, you can sleep in the spare room, I'll call Chin and explain where you are, and if you still feel the same way in the morning, then I'll know you meant it and weren't just delirious or something.' Steve tapped her chin lightly and stood up.

'Fine.' Kono crossed her arms but smiled 'the reply will still be the same though. I care about you too.'

Steve smiled and pressed his lips briefly to hers.

'I hope so, I'm counting on it.'

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This didn't come out exactly how I planned and I'm not sure it turned out realistic but I enjoyed writing it nevertheless.

Tell me what you think? Good or bad. Constructive crit helps me improve.

Review please?x


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